Monday, April 14, 2008

Pictures

Scans today, an MRI with a CT chaser. I hope these will show that my current chemo regime -- gemzar and taxotere, which I am getting for the second time -- is working.

We're lucky here in the cold state in that we rarely wait even 24 hours to get the results of studies. I'll find out the results of mine first thing tomorrow morning. Given this kind of consideration, it's churlish to complain about hospital arbitrariness; but, being a churl, I'll complain anyway. I've probably had 10 CT scans with contrast since being diagnosed, and before all of them, I've been told to restrict myself to clear liquids for six hours beforehand. Today, and henceforth, I am permitted to enjoy a "light lunch" before the study. What changed? The machine is the same weatherbeaten and sticker-bedecked Philips as always. The IV contrast, I suppose, could be different. But I suspect a policy changed, perhaps on the basis of accumulated evidence. And it makes me wonder -- at other centers, would I possibly only have to drink one liter of contrast? Or would I have to choke down three?

In any event, being able to eat a little makes the test easier, though it's hard to find a culinary match for banana-flavored barium. The policy change I hope for comes from Australia. My e-mail friend A. tells me he is allowed to listen to an iPod during his MRI exams. No idea how that works. I would have thought your head would explode.